BURNABY, B.C. – The Simon Fraser Red Leafs volleyball team lost two matches to tough opposition Friday at the APU/CPP Invitational in southern California. SFU fell 25-19, 25-20 and 25-18 to the California State East Bay Pioneers this afternoon in Azusa, California. The Red Leafs were later defeated in a three-set contest at the 24th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona Broncos (25-15, 25-22, 28-26).
 
Junior outside hitter Jocelyn Sherman (Victoria, B.C.) led SFU in both games with eight and 11 kills against East Bay and Pomona, respectively. Junior opposite Sophie Lachapelle (Kelowna, B.C.) recorded a half-dozen kills against CSUEB and 10 in the match against CPP. Junior outside hitter Davida Hill (Surrey, B.C.) registered eight kills at Pomona, while senior middle Kalyn Hartmann (Langley, B.C.) had six against East Bay.
 
A kill by senior outside hitter Hanna Kolof (Vancouver) gave SFU a 6-4 advantage to open its match against the Pioneers. A Sherman kill kept the Red Leafs' edge at two points (10-8). East Bay overturned the deficit to lead 11-10 and didn't trail after that.
 
SFU rallied in the second set after going down 19-7. The Red Leafs cut their deficit to 22-17 on a Hartmann kill and then down to 24-20 on a combination block from Sherman and sophomore middle Ezawa Malish (Coquitlam, B.C.). However, East Bay completed the set win on the next point. The teams split the first 18 points of the third set but the Pioneers steadily built a 19-14 lead before triumphing by seven points.
 
Sophomore setter Eva Person (Brentwood Bay, B.C.) led Canada's NCAA team with 16 assists and 12 digs in the match.
 

Down two sets and 24-20 in the third to CPP, SFU saved four match points on a pair of Sherman kills, a Lachapelle service ace and an attack error. The Broncos re-took the lead on the next play, before Sherman and Hartmann kills pushed the Red Leafs back in front 26-25. However, CPP clinched the match with three consecutive points.
 
The Broncos started the contest with an 11-4 run, and took the first set by 10 points. Person's service ace early in the second gave SFU a 9-6 advantage but Pomona answered with a 10-3 stretch. The Red Leafs cut the gap to 18-17 but couldn't get back in front, falling by three.
 
Person had 19 assists and nine digs to lead SFU in both statistical categories.
 
The Red Leafs will wrap up their California trip with a 2 p.m. neutral-site match Saturday against Point Loma Nazarene (California) in Azusa. SFU will open Great Northwest Athletic Conference action next weekend on the road. The team's first home games will be Sept. 21 and 23 at the West Gym.

Red Leafs volleyball season tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-red-leafs-season-passes-men-womens-soccer-and-volleyball-tickets-680344246957

For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.

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